Coralline algae were widespread in shallow-water environments during the middle Miocene in the central Paratethys. Their distribution and diversity patterns are useful in paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic studies providing that species identifications are accurate and robust. Taxonomy of fossil coralline algae was traditionally based on morphology of bi/tetrasporophytes whereas taxonomy of extant species is additionally supported by characters that can be observed in the remaining life cycle phases. Therefore, investigations of such characters in fossil record are also essential to avoid misidentifications of ancient coralline algae. Here, I analyse morphology of reproductive phases in subfamilies Hydrolithoideae and Mastophoroideae from the middle Miocene of the central Paratethys. Analyses of published and newly collected hydrolithoid and mastophoroid coralline algae allow: (i) identification of three species of the genus Hydrolithon and two species of the genus Lithoporella; (ii) description of complete life cycle phases for extinct Hydrolithon lemoinei, H. corculumis, and Hydrolithon sp. 1 and (iii) description of incomplete life cycles for Lithoporella minus and Lithoporella sp. 1. The results also prove that characters associated with trichocytes can be used in some fossil coralline algae, and bi/tetrasporic pore canal anatomy is reliable diagnostic character also for fossil species, as it is used in extant coralline algae of the order Corallinales.
Despite their common occurrence, the potential of coralline algae is not yet fully exploited in paleoecological reconstructions. The reasons are mainly grounded in the taxonomic inconsistency caused by poor preservation or insufficient knowledge of the type material of many species, and confusion derived from the difficult recognition of the coralline three-phased life cycle in the fossil record. Specimens of fossil coralline algae from newly collected samples, and historical Schaleková’s collection of middle Miocene Paratethyan limestone were studied under optical and scanning electron microscopes, revealing the occurrence of the asexuate, male gametangial, and carposporangial conceptacles of Mesophyllum crassiusculum here documented for the first time. Based on the recent emendation of Mesophyllum and consequent circumscription of the genera Mesophyllum sensu stricto and Melyvonnea, this is the first and oldest finding of a fossil Mesophyllum sensu stricto. Moreover, we provide further evidence of the preservation potential of important diagnostic characters, such as the shape of epithallial and subepithallial cells, the shape of the conceptacle roofs, the number and shape of pore canals lining cells in the multiporate roof of the asexuate conceptacle chambers. The identification of M. crassiusculum in the middle Miocene of central Paratethys would deserve further biogeographic and paleoclimatic considerations that, however, are prevented by the incomplete exploration of the Paratethyan fossil record and the need of revision of other important type collections of closely related species.
JavaScript jest wyłączony w Twojej przeglądarce internetowej. Włącz go, a następnie odśwież stronę, aby móc w pełni z niej korzystać.